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As we head into the season of autumn-themed parties, tailgating, Halloween costumes, pumpkin-spiced drinks, and numerous other spending opportunities, it’s a good time to take a close look at your daily spending habits.

Do you have a handle on your spending or are there areas where you could improve? Do your spending habits prevent you from reaching your goals? Use the following five tips to help you rein in overspending so that you can get the most out of your hard-earned money.

1.Set and Prioritize Your Goals

Think about what you and your family want to accomplish in the short and long term. Do you want to buy a new house or save for your child’s college education? Clearly identify your goals, prioritize them and come up with a plan of action. It’s important to understand that achieving your goals and your spending habits may not be aligned, so be prepared to make some small and big changes for your financial future! You can use these resources* to create a budget and start on your path forward.

2.Don’t Shop Without a List

It’s best to be prepared before you hit the stores or shop online. Shopping for your tailgate or fall get-together can be disastrous to your budget if a list is not involved. It’s also good practice to take an inventory of the items that you already have on hand before your shopping trip. Lists will also keep you focused while you are walking the aisles.

3.Avoid Your Spending Triggers

Are you more vulnerable to spend at certain stores or during specific times of the year? Keep track so that you can assess your spending triggers and make adjustments where needed. Consider avoiding your trigger retail stores and circumstances. If you find yourself in one of your trigger situations and you find an item you really want to buy, but it would blow your budget, give yourself 24 hours to think about it. That time may help you resist the urge to spend what you don’t have.

4.Examine Your Wallet

Take a close look at how you make your purchases; it may help you discover where you could make adjustments to save money. When used correctly, credit cards are useful tools in helping you make large purchases and build a strong credit history, but all credit cards are not the same. Compare the costs and benefits of each of the credit cards in your wallet. Many credit cards have special offers or help you earn rewards points on flights, dining or cash back. For instance, Arvest offers Arvest Flex Rewards™ Credit Cards in Classic, Gold, and Platinum versions with varying features and rewards points potential to fit your lifestyle. From now until Dec. 31, new credit card customers can receive a $100 bonus. You can apply online.

5.Don’t Lose the Small Pleasures

Understand that mastering your finances does not happen overnight. It can be difficult to stay on track with your finances if you have completely deprived yourself of all the small pleasures. It’s entirely possible that the $4 pumpkin-spiced latte purchase might keep you from making a bigger purchase that you would regret. It’s best to budget in some “fun spending” for your sanity and focus.

We hope these tips will help you turn over a new leaf in your path to financial success this fall!

The views of this article are for general information use only. Please contact and speak with a subject expert or your banker when specific advice is needed.

Links marked with * go to a third-party site not operated or endorsed by Arvest Bank, an FDIC-insured institution.

Investment products and services are provided by Arvest Investments, Inc., doing business as Arvest Asset Management, member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Trust services are provided by Arvest Bank. Insurance products are made available through Arvest Insurance, Inc., which is registered as an insurance agency. Insurance products are marketed through Arvest Insurance, Inc., but are underwritten by insurance companies.
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